A redundant Royal Mail storage box, filled with rubbish thrown in by passers-by, is certainly an eyesore when located on a busy neighbourhood street. This is the reason why an ingenious resident of the Southfields grid repurposed one such storage box, transforming it into a location at which members of the community can drop off spare books, games, or children’s toys, free for others to use as they wish. 

 

I visited the box, located where Heythorp Street meets Revelstoke Road, near Wimbledon Park, earlier today, and I found it stocked full of offerings, suitable for all the family. There was a ‘Horrible Histories’ game, along with some Enid Blyton novels, as well as non-fiction books for learning French, or even golf! 

 

The boxes themselves are often found alongside the typical red Royal Mail post boxes, and are used by postal workers to leave excess parcels, in the event that they are unable to carry all of their deliveries. However, they have become increasingly disused in recent years, and are often found filled with rubbish and junk instead. The decision to liven up the street, and turn what was once a place to dispose of waste into a source of joy and interest for local residents, has undoubtedly been a good one. This is especially true due to its fortunate location: opposite the Wimbledon Park Montessori School, where children leaving nursery can make full use of the box’s offerings, and find a toy to take home with them!

 

Where once people may have left old books on their garden walls, at risk of wind and water damage, they can now leave them in the collection box. Anyone is free to take whatever they would like from the box, and to leave their own offering in return, with the knowledge that the items are safe from the rain, but still able to be enjoyed.